Thursday 17 April 2008

Prostate cancer death rate falls four times faster in U.S. than UK since routine screening

Deaths from prostate cancer have fallen four times more quickly in the U.S. than in Britain since screening was introduced across the Atlantic.

Prostate screening is almost routine in America, with almost 60 per cent of men aged over 50 having the test every year - compared to under 10 per cent in the UK.

But scientists said more work was needed to show that screening was responsible for the falling death rate in the U.S.

3 comments:

Libertarian said...

This is the comment I left:

I think it's a scandal that men aren't routinely screened for prostate cancer in the UK. However, it comes as no surprise in a country that spends eight times more on women's health than on men's health. Women are offered regular screenings for ovarian cancer despite the fact that far fewer women die from the disease than men do from prostate cancer. The word 'sexism' springs to mind.

There's nothing wrong with that! If the Mail don't publish that comment it proves what arseholes they are.

Libertarian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Here is my comment, which may now be too late to get published or too near the truth to get past any feminist censor:

"Tony has it right. There is no national screening programme for prostate cancer, or indeed any other male-specific cancer, and that is scandalous particularly when male life expectancy continues to lag so far behind that of females. Or is it now official government and NHS policy to keep that gap as wide as possible?

Comments that any man can ask for a PSA test on the NHS miss the point because the PSA test is notoriously unreliable, and the whole idea of a screening programme is to get to everyone who may be susceptible; including - critically - those who may not be aware of any symptoms and who may therefore never think of going and asking for a test, at least until it is too late. Otherwise why do we have national cervical and breast cancer screening programmes for women, instead of just leaving them to shift for themselves and ask for one if they are worried? But if we wouldn't treat women in such a casual way, why do we do it to men?

Paul Parmenter